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2026-09-28 13:34
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Taylor Swift Historians HONESTLY Decode The Encore ?
- Swiftologist 오래 전 2026.09.28 22:54 Taylor Swift 인기
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- 이전글Taylor Swift Watching Her Own Music Video Like She Hasn’t Seen It Before ? #taylorswift2026.09.28
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Cleveland sounds like a Christmas mall song that replays all day long. Take that as you will, but as a former retail employee I think we can guess how I feel.?
2026-09-29 09:22
Cleveland sounds like a Christmas mall song that replays all day long. Take that as you will, but as a former retail employee I think we can guess how I feel.?
2026-09-29 09:22
taylor’s songwriting recently is at its highest point when she’s writing about stories of other people and from other people’s perspectives and ikiiky proves it
2026-09-29 09:17
Agree overall but that you cannot understand the brilliance of babylon, that’s on you. It’s so heartbreaking and not confusing? Got it from first listen? Idk what feels convoluted about it. Maybe the first line, but makes sense when you reread it once the song ends
2026-09-29 09:17
I think she’s releasing this type of music because she’s trying to burn through the old school swifties on purpose and build up a new fandom primarily built on Tayvis. It’s the best bet she has for this to work long term, as she doesn’t trust the old swifties not to turn on her relationship and try to destroy it. This is the only thing that makes sense to me.
2026-09-29 09:16
I know Travis doesn’t understand the underlying of some of her songs, but Taylor will forever be censored by the Kelsey family to make sure that they never look bad. There’s no way with her family , who have two podcast on their own is gonna let TS say anything bad about them… Taylor Swift will never write the way that she has before. If they think something might make Travis look bad they will shut that shit down.
2026-09-29 09:14
I just go back to a song like "My Tears Ricochet". Such a concise, DEEPLY affecting track about ownership and her art. I'm not saying she HAS to write about getting her masters back. But surely the material is there for her to mine. And we get none of it on the standard release, and certainly not Encore. It's just "F the haters" and a hard rock is on the way.
2026-09-29 09:11
You said there's no iconic line that stands out, but one that stood out to me from the get go was "when the fever turns a dreamer into a pathetic ghost"
2026-09-29 09:10
Hi you two, I know I don’t pay for your patreon but I really enjoy your podcast and am a regular watcher.
That said, I’m a bit disappointed with this video. Most of this is glazing of instant critiques of the bonus tracks, which both of you have acknowledged in other album cycles can be an unreliable source because journalists need to spit something out without sitting with the music due to our content spitting society. And I am getting that vibe from this video as well.
I’m not really hearing your thoughts on the songs, I’m hearing you spit out the instant knee jerk reaction that the internet conjured up.
I’m not saying you need to like the songs, but most of this video is about what other people are saying about the songs and not an actual critique of the songs. Well, I should say very little critique of the songs.
I’d like to hear a little bit more of the why these songs aren’t good. You did a great job dissecting Cleveland (which is the song the internet jumped on). Yes, that is a jarring song and it’s kind of the monster on the hill and overshadows the other three. I’m getting the vibe that you both listened to the other three songs maybe twice max.
Again, I’m not saying you need to like them. I just want a bit more of a closer read as to why you don’t like them. I don’t think Pink Clouding or Babylon are top tier Taylor songs, but they clear most of what’s on TLOAS.
I think it’s also important when critiquing these songs to take all the noise of what everyone is saying out of it (including Taylor herself). These are 4 b-sides from a very mid album. They’re almost “From the vault” tracks which also highlights why they don’t really add anything new.
What IS interesting is how they’re produced. For the most part, this four song stretch is cohesive and works as a unit much better than the original tracklist of Showgirl. The production on these songs also echo back to the lowfi dream pop that really became prominent on Midnights and TTPD, and I think (even though they’re not the best songs in her catalogue) that there must be something there because sonically they’re so different from TLOAS and echo back to what is becoming Taylor’s signature “sound”.
I don’t know. I just think that this episode was a bit underwhelming, because like these bonus tracks, you’re not bringing anything new to the conversation. And I don’t mean that in a mean way or in a bullying way, but this video seems rushed and kind of fits the Showgirl rhetoric you’ve been preaching the past year.
I’d really like for you to take a bit more time with the songs, maybe even take Cleveland out of them to make them less jarring, and provide a more honest critique as to why you think they’re not good. Because to me, Pink Clouding and Babylon clear the original tracklist and almost land on her initial description more - poppy with folklore-esque lyrics - than anything on the original album.
Again, not saying perfectly executed, but from the perspective of being b-sides, they do add something different to the album
2026-09-29 09:07
Taylor’s biggest problem right now is that she has not pushed herself in a long time. She needs new collaborators. She needs new production. She needs to explore new themes. Folklore, 1989, and Fearless were all striving for form and explored and took risks inn their unique ways. It’s getting predictable, and she has gotten herself into a trap where she is going to become a one-trick pony.
2026-09-29 09:05
Sonically, Babylon is my favorite. Unfortunately I have to turn my brain off and stop losing my mind while listening to it because she missed so many good opportunities lyrically. ‘In West Virginia with your church dress on’ is so much better of a lyric than aunt Virginia and I do not understand Aunt Virginia’s role in the song lol. There are so many examples throughout the song where the good lyric (which is simpler and more palatable) is sitting just right there and she decides to Jackson pollock right over a potential Mona Lisa. But this is the essence of showgirl unfortunately.
2026-09-29 09:02
I'm getting into trouble by saying this, but my wife is working for Taylor's team and she told me there's an album planned for December called "The Life of a Showgirl: The Afterparty"
2026-09-29 08:57
this video is gold ? straight facts and especially everything starting from 1:16:57 is taking me OUTTT
2026-09-29 08:51
1:23:48 both were born in 1989, he was born in October
2026-09-29 08:51
Yess, gosh I dared to comment on a post the song was not great but the video was nice, and got chewed up! ?
2026-09-29 08:47
Shame on you people. Nothing can explain the hate you give to someone who is abig part of who you are. You show hate. You can dislike the record but the way yo speak is so offensive. What a shame!
2026-09-29 08:47
As someone who lives in Cleveland. I can confirm that Cleveland sounds exactly like one would imagine Cleveland (derogatory)!
2026-09-29 08:46
I've been commenting on videos criticizing your Encore reviews, not to defend you, but to defend freedom of press and musical evolution. I do believe fandoms can become very unreasonable towards criticism and I believe is because they either:
A) Don't consume other media so everything their favorite artist does is gold, even when it's shite.
B) Don't see artists as human beings and put them and their work on a pedestal, even when it's shite.
C) They have shite taste themselves.
To expect Taylor to release quality songwriting and composition does not make anyone a bad fan. If anything, the ones who are able to logically critique are the kind of fans that artists need to push and challenge themselves and do better.
The Life of A Showgirl is Taylor's worst album. And Encore was even worse. Sure, there are worst pop albums out there, but we know Taylor is one of the absolute best artists OF ALL TIME. She is the one who set the expectations up there. Now if she is simply having a laugh, being more unserious and not caring about quality because she's just having fun, it can be understandable. The issue is that she has done that, while still delivering outstanding music.
Her songwriting seems to be regressing as she gets older. The lyrics are getting more juvenile, and the music is becoming generic and repetitive. And even vocally she's not singing anymore. She's talking on most of her songs and it's beyond frustrating hearing the acoustic versions that showcase her voice and emotion much better. Wtf is happening?
I am still a die hard swiftie. But I do hope she takes a serious musical break before she releases TS13. Because if it's heading towards this way....
2026-09-29 08:46
I think because Travis is from Cleveland, she is like "he took me to his city". Wich actually i understand the meaning behind it, someone special that takes you to their city, maybe the place they grew up in ecc... I don't think it's specifically about the city, if Travis was from Marrakech she probably would've said " he took me to Marrakech".
2026-09-29 08:43
I never even noticed the floating eye until it was mentioned lmao
2026-09-29 08:38
Madeline being Cleveland defender is so funny
2026-09-29 08:37
Right wing male podcasters and sports bros were saying Travis could get someone younger so no that didn’t come from nowhere, just had to point that out
2026-09-29 08:37
48:36 agree with Madeline. When i first heard Cleveland! I said: “this is better Opalite”, and that wasn’t really a compliment
2026-09-29 08:36
It’s DRAGGING on for sooooo long. Like if there’s some other thing happening or Gaylor or ME or Maylor- it’s like GET ON W/ IT
2026-09-29 08:29
I think the album would have made more sense if she followed a ‘legacy’ sort of concept in terms of her career, relationships, and how she’s handled it and it could’ve been a lot more cohesive with the encore songs included in the original tracklist (with flops like wood and cancelled removed)
2026-09-29 08:28
8:57 omg i can’t believe that I actually just saw the eye as you guys were talking about it ????? I guess my mind just cut out the one eye zoomed pic at the corner
2026-09-29 08:25
1:26:28 So is it Tree Paine’s fault she’s so “out of touch?” Wouldn’t this be a huge part of her job - to make sure Taylor is aware of the pertinent discourse surrounding her and her albums? I wonder if Tree Paine is a bit “old school” and doesn’t realize exactly where the dominant discourses are taking place (social media vs. legacy media).
2026-09-29 08:25
Even though I don't always agree, I ALWAYS consider what the Swiftologist and the Lizard have to say. ?
2026-09-29 08:24
Madeline I love you for being the Cleveland defense squad lol (your points are valid!!)
2026-09-29 08:23
I think it’s interesting also that this is being labeled as her engagement album when really I’m actually getting more of an impression that TLOAS is everything that didn’t fit on TTPD while she was on tour. A falling in love with Travis + chaos. Cause she didn’t get engaged until the album was done. Cleveland is more of a reaction to the engagement to me.
2026-09-29 08:20
If this was Taylor trying to get Showgirl a better position at the Grammy's then there's a bruised ego incoming.
Especially if Olivia wins AOTY instead; with all Taylor's insecurities leftover from the Lover era about the next big star coming along and all of their previous tension, I can see it being the spark that tips it into a full blown feud if Tay is still in this immature and aggressive headspace...
Or maybe we'll just get another song about the haters instead ?
2026-09-29 08:20
honestly rearranging the album by putting the good encore songs in and taking all the flops out of the album has kinda revived it for me
2026-09-29 08:18
You guys talk about your assessment of showgirl as if it’s correct. Really you guys don’t know the first thing about music though ?
2026-09-29 08:18
29:13 the way TS13 will include a song with the lyric: “i guess that’s how a snake evolves” aimed at this iconic duo.
2026-09-29 08:17
every single word. this encore could’ve stayed in the vault.
2026-09-29 08:16
48:09 GIRL
2026-09-29 08:16
For being so in Love there's more Hate in this album. But didn't she said on Love album
"I wanna be defined by the things that I love Not the things I hate Not the things I'm afraid of, I'm afraid of Not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night, I just think that You are what you love" Taylor Swift.
2026-09-29 08:15
I will never believe that Tayvis is actually real. To me it’s so clear. Why isn’t important, though I have my theories. Imo, her music will not be good while publicly with Travis. Not at least any songs she writes about him or their alleged relationship. I do feel like she’s doing this on purpose, it at least seems that way imo. Also, I just have to say that after using swear words in recent albums, leaving them out when it’s clear what she’s saying is so cringe and inauthentic.
2026-09-29 08:14
I feel like Taylor did hear the criticism, but her begrudging personality thought she could go back to fix it. I think maybe this is the kick to just move onto the next project ...
2026-09-29 08:13
To be honest Madelines “The Death of A Showgirl” is I feel like still could be true maybe it will be her 13th album it would fit so well because we all know thats gonna be her last album and maybe and im just HOPING ? that the life of a showgirl was a satire and we werent seeing the full picture until the 13th album comes out where shes like “yall bitches thought i was serious, the whole time i was playing in your face” or am i giving her too much credit and shes just actually not good anymore? ?
2026-09-29 08:12
Before Taylor announced any new album, before The Life of a Showgirl was even a concept, I honestly thought that at some point she would write a song about how hard it is to be an artist and how similar that experience can be to being an athlete.
The physical and emotional toll, the sacrifices you make, how short a career can be, how much you travel, how much time you spend away from your family, and how much of your life you give up because you’re chasing that addictive adrenaline you get from doing what you love.
And then there’s the relationship with the audience. The way people become invested in their favorite artists feels incredibly similar to the way they become invested in their favorite athletes. There are SO many parallels between the two worlds.
I genuinely thought this was such an obvious and universal concept to explore. I was almost imagining some kind of anthem about effort, sacrifice, ambition, performance, and what it costs to dedicate your life to something. Those songs are universal because everyone understands sacrifice and everyone can empathize with it.
And the fact that we haven’t really gotten anything like that honestly surprises me. Especially because I feel like it’s such a natural subject for her to write and produce.
And then The Life of a Showgirl ended up being what it was, which is honestly disappointing to me. I feel like there are SO many interesting things she could explore about the different dynamic between her and Travis without ever having to expose the intimate details of their relationship. I completely understand wanting to protect it, especially because this relationship is more serious and he’s her husband.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t fascinating dynamics to explore, the parallels between two people whose lives revolve around performance, competition, pressure, fame, physical sacrifice, travel, their relationship with an audience, and having their careers constantly consumed by the public.
There was so much there. And I’m honestly disappointed that none of it seems to have been explored.
2026-09-29 08:12
I always think that her songs are a little bit undone sounding.
Because then she'll release a different version of the song and the live version is always amped up.
Sorry, I always feel like all of her songs are leaving room for them to change and grow from there
I could not stand the smallest man when I listen to it on the album. I Did not like the beginning at all.
But the live performance saved the song for me
I think the video for patient zero helps the song.
I am not a fan of that bridge either, but overall I love the song so I just ignored that The bridge is terrible
2026-09-29 08:10
Is her gratitude at the album’s reception in the room with us??? Because it’s not on that encore!
2026-09-29 08:10
Since when is it wrong to have standards as a fan?
2026-09-29 08:07
You are both geniuses with the sayings you come up with…‘I think therefore I swiftie’ amazing
2026-09-29 08:07
Um.. people say Taylor is literally mid, ALL the time.
And they say that she looks exactly like Napoleon Dynamite.
There are a lot of people that think that she is unattractive.
2026-09-29 08:06
I’m with Madeline that people are taking Cleveland waaaaay too seriously. I’m not saying I like it, it was not necessary to put out, but like it’s silly it’s not serious
2026-09-29 08:04
You seem so bitter for a billionaire married girl
2026-09-29 07:59
It's giving wannabe muisical. Terrified she will actually put this on broadway.
2026-09-29 07:59
yeah Rolling Stones lost a ton of respect
2026-09-29 07:47
At first I thought Patient Zero was just Somebody Else by The 1975
2026-09-29 07:45
Much has happened in Taylor’s life that could generate interesting lyrical themes about her eras tour / showgirl era… and yet she’s mute on all of it.
The album and the encore don’t tell the life of a showgirl. Both tell the life of a lovesick woman marrying a surface-level dude… and it’s disappointing to see her reduce herself to that when she is much more complex
2026-09-29 07:45
It’s so bad if she tours it I have no interest in attending
2026-09-29 07:44
my opinion is that taylor KNOWS this showgirl deluxe isn't her best work (hence her avoidance to the topic in recent interviews) and yet she's still chasing the grammy noms which is why she put out deluxe. the deluxe has been in the works for a while now, so i'm sure late 2025 + early 2026 taylor was planning to use this as a major grammy push. when she started to shift back to country + her craft as a lyricist, she realized deluxe wasn't her best work, but she felt like she still had to put it out since she had it all recorded/music video made/ vinyls pressed. this is why the release process feels so rushed?? and cut close to grammy nominations (bc she's dying for those noms??). i do think country taylor is coming back because writing for toy story brought her back to reality from the "fuck the haters and i love travis" high, and she's been angling it for a while. she wouldn't focus on all that green and return to her "roots" marketing for nothing. anyways thats it im sure she'll try to brush showgirl under the rug post Grammys (since she's gotta know its bad) and finally return to being the diva we know and love xoxo
2026-09-29 07:43
i appreciate you guys so much for keeping it real and intellectually honest.
2026-09-29 07:42
last 13 minutes you guys were hilarious ?? also I still think eldest daughter is the worst thing that ever happened. it has no competition
2026-09-29 07:42
I say this because I care, she’s hurting her legacy to protect her business.
2026-09-29 07:39
48:25 gotta agree with Zach on this, Cleveland is SO SO SO much worse than Opalite. Opalite I can listen, and I think it would be even good without the Uoh oh oh oh in the chorus, it has some good beats. Cleveland... It's bad in every way possible. The music, the lyrics, the cringe is cringeing like never before. The "I have an announcement to make" gives me such second hand embarrassment, I wish I had never listened to that. She thought she was doing "ladies and gentleman will you please stand" but she really did a "hey kids, spelling is fun!"
2026-09-29 07:35
I can understand most of your thoughts, but genuinely not how you didn’t like Babylon and it’s very specific and well told story of a distant man/father who’s absent and not in the moment, I don’t many songs of her that go in that direction. I also like how it sounds so it’s up to a good start for me, but I still think it was very interesting and touching song. Hope you come back around to it after a while when it’s less connected to the showgirl project and your overall impression of it
2026-09-29 07:32
37:54 The mental imagine of Travis trying to take her on a nice romantic holiday to his hometown and she spends all week angry in her phone is spending me
2026-09-29 07:31
the beginning is wild because london boy and shake it off were poorly received at release and are still skips for many fans..
2026-09-29 07:31
30 Rock mentioned!
2026-09-29 07:30
1:19:59
2026-09-29 07:28
Madeline has no business looking that good in orange showgirl color eyeshadow
2026-09-29 07:27
The thing I can't stomach about Babylon is the guy character. I don’t want to hear about bad corporate men with watches in their closets (even though I loved the "your time is money" line) and a neglected family. You want to talk about nostalgia? Give me a metaphor about aging, about watching people who are younger than you, or at the very least make it about a woman or someone in the slightest bit sympathetic. If bland corporate guy with no soul lost it all, well, good...?
2026-09-29 07:25
I've heard her say in song and in interviews. Many many beautiful things about Travis and about how he makes her feel.
Just because it hasn't been put to paper in a way that is satisfying for everybody.
It does not take away from the fact that that is the reality of their relationship.
It is meaningful and it does have emotional depth.
She's just being more guarded with it than usual because she's trying to preserve it.
2026-09-29 07:23
Ground Zero started being used in the 1940s, but I take your point.
2026-09-29 07:22
Joke's on you guys wanting to bury this nonsense.. watch her announce the SHOWGIRL WORLD TOUR next. ?
2026-09-29 07:22
Madeline is me, I've accepted it I'm hand hearting and I'm ready to move on when she is. I thought Showgirl was fine, it's not her best work, it's not her worst to me that's probably Lover, but I really liked a handful of songs and I'll hand heart no matter what
2026-09-29 07:21
Wow, I really wish there was a 2.5 hour long podcast episode ripping Rob Sheffield’s Heartbreak is the National Anthem that I could immediately go and watch for the 20th time.
Oh wait ?
2026-09-29 07:20
I'm just happy Patient Zero and Pink Clouding exist now ?
2026-09-29 07:19
You know. I don’t hate TLOAS and I think Cleveland! Is actually fun haha but I also think this is all out of her system now she’s just overexcited and there is better work to come on TS13/the future.
2026-09-29 07:19
In Getaway Car she’s not sorry at all, in Pink Clouding she’s very sorry. It’s a sequel, not a remake. It seems like in an attempt to double down on “showgirl sucks” you guys are being as negative as possible
2026-09-29 07:15
35:55 Legit question, not sarcasm or a demeaning statement masquerading as a Q - Do you think the phrase “ground zero” was first used for the twin towers?Anyone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but the phrase “ground zero” had been around (since the Manhattan Project, I believe) and used in casual conversations and writing for decades before this specific event laid claim to it. This doesn’t negate the premise that the phrase “patient zero” is problematic, but it’s a false equivalency to compare it to “ground zero.”
2026-09-29 07:14
Is crazy cause she is literally one of the most powerful women or earth, and looking from the outside - she is currently in a point of her life where she got a lot of things she might have been wanting for a long time... but she's giving that Cassie from Euphoria clip of "I've never been happier"
2026-09-29 07:13
Guys I think showgirl is just her writing songs that she had fun writing, that's all. She threw her rule book away for one album cycle cuz she's letting her hair down a little. Good for her! Lets see what happens next album cycle!
2026-09-29 07:13
21:04 I feel seen I feel heard I said this last video. Why are your love songs including the haters or outside parties. It’s not romantic it comes off as vindication. Like more of an achievement over the haters rather than a true love story
2026-09-29 07:13
I feel like in a way Taylor almost worships her own lore (worship is a strong word but it’s all I can think of to describe it). When I first saw the name for Cleveland!, I didn’t even know where Travis was from but I figured that was it, and it made sense to me because it seems like she’s trying to have songs written for Travis like she did for Joe, aka London Boy. In a lot of ways I feel like Showgirl was a reset from TTPD because even though she had love songs for Travis there were also songs about Matty and Joe and by mid 2025 she was engaged to Travis and her most recent album had songs about 2 other men. I’m not saying I think that’s embarrassing I’m saying she thought that was embarrassing. She puts a lot of emphasis on Travis loving her and acting like everyone else hates her.. like girl you are TAYLOR SWIFT stop acting like you’re so hard to love. I just couldn’t get behind “you dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia” “I was alone in my tower you were just honing your powers now I can see it all”. What happened to “I hosted parties and starved my body like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss” “you don’t need to save me but would you run away with me” At a certain point you have to wonder why she has put so much stake in a relationship saving her life. And this kinda connects to that but in the prophecy when she’s begging presumably God to give her a man, then in opalite she says “oh my Lord never made no one like you before” “you had to make your own sunshine” aka God didn’t make it happen I did. But she just sang about Travis saving her from her tower. I’m not saying she has to believe or sing about God but did she want a man so bad it made her stop believing in God or fate? Cause you could also look at that as “thank God I broke up with him so I could meet the real love of my life”. And I don’t see how she couldn’t still believe in fate because of “In your life you’ll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team” and “You’ll be 87 Ill be 89” (or whatever the one mentioning 87 is). I just don’t see why she puts such an emphasis on that where she thinks clearly the haters are shut down because she is married.. like ok? Stop singing to the haters, her haters aren’t gonna be listening to these songs over and over, her fans are. I’m just waiting for rep vault tracks and I’m excited to see what TS13 will sound like.
2026-09-29 07:12
What ????
You literally just said why is she repeating herself? We know how she feels..
But we're fine with 12 songs about Matty And how she was ghosted and treated like crap?
She repeats every single solitary sentiment throughout her whole career and now it's a problem???
2026-09-29 07:12
Pink clouding is interesting take on the addiction phenom of euphoria — as a false feeling… seems like apology to tom
2026-09-29 07:11
honestly i fear that blaming the producers doesnt fly anymore. You guys even said it in the vid - Taylor is only hearing criticism in a way that's carefully curated. If all these massive names in the industry can't make her edit then nobody can. Taylor is the brand, shes the image, she's the money maker - the songs are bad because that's how she wrote them and the sound is bad because that's what she liked. She is no longer in a position to be challenged. Pray for no grammys noms i guess, bc the VMAs sure havent helped.
2026-09-29 07:09
I totally understand the criticism, there is no way to go around the main issue here but I honestly still like it, I enjoy all the songs even the stupid ones. I feel like she has been chasing and dreaming about this happy ending for so long that she lost touch with the ground she is like high in that I found my man and I am married that she can’t see further from that haze but it’s still interesting and enjoyable. She also has been kind of creating and throwing everything up for a while so she is not letting it cook. But she needs to come back down from that she can do much better, thank you for the valid criticism it’s very necessary.
2026-09-29 07:08
Girl I was living in denial because I was literally convinced Cleveland is a satire comedy track that she wrote to be bad on purpose like there is NO WAY she was taking that seriously in the studio… genuinely her worst song oh my god
2026-09-29 07:07
My biggest what if will be what if Jack had produced the life of a showgirl. I mean I liked the songs, but I jst know it could’ve been infinitely better with jack
2026-09-29 07:07
Wait, It's called The Encore? But it says The Noe Ecr
2026-09-29 07:03
Taylor Swift killed Laura Palmer
2026-09-29 07:01
I think the Celtic sound lends itself somewhat to what you could hear at a funeral and think she's writing with videos in mind. I feel like that sound made much more sense when I heard it alongside the imagery of the gravesite.
2026-09-29 07:01
I love watching chats and reacts and then watching this ….. This podcast — the two poles of views at work.
2026-09-29 07:00
I love that she's doubled down on the combativeness personally.
I find it very entertaining.
2026-09-29 07:00
Mmmm as a Swifty also born in 1989, I’m getting the same vibes as Nicole over here. Y’all are haters. She’s always been accused of being cringe and this is nothing different.
2026-09-29 06:56
These things have been said have you ever watched Megan Kelly ? Some other right wing podcasters - yes they have said all that and more about her
2026-09-29 06:55
If pink clouding was on midnight you would love it … when she steps away and hangs up guitar I think we will realize it all was Babylon (the hits and misses included)
2026-09-29 06:53
The images were made by AI - nothing makes sense
2026-09-29 06:52
42:20 so basically Jack is the reason she’s the greatest song writer in history.
2026-09-29 06:51
Also there IS certain segment of population which hate her just to hate her …she will never convert them so she is not trying
2026-09-29 06:50
Ok so she knows the critics killed showgirl - however if these were written during the timeframe she says / then it was shortly after the album so I’m not expected a new direction (which I do expect for next albums)
3 of 4 are miles better than anything on showgirl …
2026-09-29 06:49
I still really like it but I don’t think too deeply about it. Patient zero is my least favourite on the encore tracks. I love pink clouding!
2026-09-29 06:49
I didn't hate the new songs, but my expectations were really really low so...
2026-09-29 06:48
I love living in Cleveland so much and the song just hurts. We didn’t need that kind of violence.
2026-09-29 06:48
Are we opening the case that patient 0 is a metaphor for Scott and the industry? Perhaps a reach
2026-09-29 21:21
I love the songwriting of patient zero, pink clouding and Babylon… but none of it has nothing to do with showgirl. Cleveland can go meet their eldest daughter, wood, etc friends in the trash can
2026-09-29 21:18
I think with the previous “cringe” songs it had an air of either youthful exuberance or irony as she got older that made them fun and campy instead of “wtf is this”
2026-09-29 21:15
POLITELY, your ears are broken and you hate fun if you hate Cleveland!
2026-09-29 21:11
See i think Cleveland could’ve been fun if she’d reallllllly leaned into the “oh my god I can’t believe I’m Taylor swift and gonna be spending Christmas in Cleveland for the rest of my life” of it all. Like a play on London but suburban and lame and dorky in an I’m in on the joke kind of way.
2026-09-29 21:06
i will write it for those who needed to hear it in these taynegativity times: i love all of these 4 songs, i relate to them a lot, and i love the lyrics as well as i do like the production (yes, cleveland too, it brings me a lot of joy), you're not stupid or immature or shallow if you do too
2026-09-29 21:02
i like the encore, I'm happy with it and I think Cleveland could benefit from a tour cause I imagine it would be a really fun moment at a concert. For TS13 I hope she does another classic love song ballad. Like Lover. We don't have many of them and now that she's so secure in her relationship I'd love a pure love song piano ballad that people play on their wedding.
2026-09-29 20:54
Taylor didn’t make showgirl for the fans, she made it for Travy baby❤️??
2026-09-29 20:53
What is funny to me is that despite TS' obsession with the number 13, which is a karmic number in numerology that roughly means 'requiring discipline and dedication (mastery)' with regard to creativity, or else karma will get you, still decided to put out these songs.
2026-09-29 20:45
Showgirl is definitely not written in Travis language, this is 100% not the genre of music he listens too ? there's a reason blank space is his favourite Taylor song, he doesn't listen to her music on the regular!
He likes hip hop, RnB, occasional country and pop.
2026-09-29 20:45
I would accept a Cleavland!-style song about getting her masters back. But thinking getting married is the ultimate gotcha for the haters is... not it, girl.
2026-09-29 20:40
1:29:38 I'm sorry but this one burst me out laughing ?
2026-09-29 20:37
47:41 holy shit you're right ? I freaking love that theme music though, so I'm not mad at it in that instance lmao..
2026-09-29 20:29
And she could have made Cleveland much cuter. They are famous and wealthy so she could’ve have been like “out of anywhere in the world, he took me the Cleveland (home).” And why isn’t she writing about how she was locked away and hidden for so long but now she is loved and for being who she is and with someone who is proud to have her. Ugh!
2026-09-29 20:28
Just when we were out, she pulled us back in.
2026-09-29 20:21
It's like she tries to replicate Reputation's message about fining true love and happiness in a dark time. Except around the Showgirl Era she was winning in everything - most famous pop star, amazingly successful tour, TTPD has already dealt with the two breakups so we start Showgirl when she's happy with Travis, Encore happens after she got engaged. The storyline she's trying to impose on this album doesn't work so it comes off bitter. Call It What You Want works because it was true that the world turned against Taylor, so the verses in this song don't sound bitter, they sound honest about the situation she was truly in at that time of her life. She got together with Travis when she was in her prime, and there is nothing wrong with that, but convincing the public that they got together despite some massive outside hate won't work.
2026-09-29 20:18
i honestly think that a lot of the hate is recency bias
is the life of a showgirl best taylor swift album ever made? well, no. does it have objectively weak lyrics in comparison to folkmore or ttpd? well, yes. but i'm 100% sure that in like 3 to 5 years people will come back and really appreciate the good things this album had to offer and rediscover and fall in love with some songs in a way they couldn't when the album first came out.
2026-09-29 20:17
Showgirl would have been soo much better if she gave us a Long Live eras tour version and took the idea behind wishlist but made it like a ballad and without the haters stuff. I would EAT THAT UP. I hate that all of the Travis songs are dumb and “funny” and haters this and that, like girl stop. I honestly want the I love Travis songs at this point, like something meaningful and heartfelt she is so good at that.. Showgirl had sooo much potential and I feel like we were over promised in a way?
2026-09-29 20:14
Babylon is not a word salad, it paints a specific psychological picture of the person, the phrases are things he says to himself. You are not good critiques, you do not make intelligent points, you don't even try to see the big picture. When someone is lazy, it is you. Pathetic! But hate sells, I guess.
2026-09-29 20:11
Y'all are so refreshing to my old swiftie ass ??
2026-09-29 20:10
1:14:30 I was a “showgirl soldier” because I thought the things said about her in the process was unfair and in all honesty, I did like 3/4ths of the album but Cleveland had made me put down that sword and now I’m just dead in the middle of the battlefield
2026-09-29 20:03
This is exactly how I felt when she dropped folklore and evermore, so I think every faction of this fanbase has to suffer at some point
2026-09-29 19:51
I just realised that Paris was a prelude to showgirl
2026-09-29 19:50
As someone who listened to Fearless and Speak Now REPEATEDLY coming home from middle school on Bus 861 using my portable CD player, I still am not a big fan of London Boy. Honestly, Lover was my least favorite album before TLOAS came out. I have almost no words for Wood nor Cleveland! It's just not for me. My best friend loves both of these songs.
2026-09-29 19:31
I just realized that all the worst Taylor songs have exclamation marks?
2026-09-29 19:24
I liked the new songs, I thought they were cute and they got stuck in my head. Cleaveland is obviously the worst one, lyrics aren’t great. But the instrumentals e very cute and up my alley. I thought Babylon was good, showed she still has story telling in mind. Tho maybe the lyrics r a little clunky with a first listen
. In the past Taylor’s songs dunking on criticism have been clever, but this time around nah. It fuels the hate more this time.
2026-09-29 19:24
I've seen the idea that babylon is about the moment of understanding that the Masters where gone. "And though the box is wrapped up nicd, it's just a cagd to you", "And you hate this song But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone Then that melody is all you want You never new thaf it was Babylon 'Til it was gone". "Give the people what they want, then you keep it moving"-prob. about the rerecords, "It's not worth it if we're not what he wants"-the standards Sc.Brown set for her probably idk
2026-09-29 19:19
The Ramona Singer reference took me out ?
2026-09-29 19:18
When Sarah and Hannah became your target audience:((
2026-09-29 19:17
even ME! is way better than Cleveland
2026-09-29 19:13
I think the three zeros meant there were 3 more songs to come after Patient Zero was announced
2026-09-29 18:38
I'm a petty person, but some of what went down with Cleveland was a level even I wouldn't go? And I think it's not even PG rated - am saying it's nothing too terrible - but that kind of petty is just not worth the energy to me. Like none of that would even slightly put off any of the actual haters. The actual haters would find it actually romantic because she actually put energy into a response that wasn't even good.
2026-09-29 18:37
The death of a showgirl could have been so great :( like the concept and everything
2026-09-29 18:36
the concept of patient zero reminded me of tove lo’s “glad he’s gone”, and i think tove did a better job at conveying the subject matter
2026-09-29 18:31
My problem with Showgirl is that it seems like Taylor took it too far this time with creating a whole song out of one single word or a phrase, a concept whatever you wanna call it. As someone who occasionally writes poems, i know how how fun it is to do that, and Taylor has said before that she writes these cool words and phrases in her notes app so she can later use them for her songs. The problem with this writing tactic is that it's much easier to waste a good concept than to use it to its full extent and make something great out of it when not enough time is spent on working on it. Because then you get something like the Encore or dare i say the entire TLOAS album, which is a list of great track titles that are really promising in terms of their meaning and what they allude to, but thennnnn you play the song and realize that the concept was completely wasted, that she used the simplest possible words to write it, and combine that with the very high songwriting standards that Taylor herself has set and the high expectations that we have for her, and you get huge DISSAPOINTMENT. i'll even go as far as to say that the entire showgirl concept was wasted, the photoshoot, the idea behind it. The album and the songs on it are simply not worthy of the album title, they're not worthy of the concept.
2026-09-29 18:29
I would love to watch a video on Taylor songs for people with good taste!!!
2026-09-29 18:29
I think the “he already took me to Cleveland” is about him taking her to meet his parents and how much that meant to her, but it’s done so poorly
2026-09-29 18:21
1:04:36 I’m still waiting to figure out what the heck Taylor thinks the city of Babylon is supposed to be a literary metaphor for…it’s a well-established subject or metaphor throughout history, but it never is used as “you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone”. it’s never like an Eden or a Paradise Lost, or even like
…a mythical city, or a utopia, or the home of the prodigal son. I feel like she’s confused and mixing metaphors (like when she thought “lavender haze” was an actual common vintage slang/terminology, and not just one line in Mad Men). Like babe, look those references up before you build a whole song around it.
2026-09-29 18:21
I think the biggest mistake Taylor made with this album is the name. Because she called it "the life of a showgirl" everyone expected to hear behind-the-curtain stories about being a showgirl professionally. That's why I think that people would have been less disappointed if the name was "the private life of a showgirl", because she's talking about her private life, falling in love, the dead friend she never kissed, her friends being cancelled and she feeling the need to support them...etc etc. that's the PRIVATE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL. I think that one word in the title would have reduced the criticism by 50%
2026-09-29 18:21
Maybe it’s because Dolly is forever on my mind (& that I’ve been reading up on her old rolling stone interviews) but I can’t help but compare Dolly’s songs about her early years with Carl to Taylor’s about Travis. Despite having a famously under wraps relationship Dolly never shied away from exposing hot topics in their household in songs like ‘just because I’m a woman’. Meanwhile Taylor & Travis are famously public yet Taylor so far has shied away from giving details beyond what she shared in so high school. It’s not that she is obligated to air out their disagreements, it’s that not doing so leads to repetitive songs.
2026-09-29 18:14
Exactly my thoughts honestly thank you for commiserating with me
2026-09-29 18:13
I can actually see what's wrong with Wi$h Li$t, Actually Romantic, Wood, CANCELLED!, and Eldest Daughter. Saying that she hate some glamorous things while her fans live in not so glamorous life is a bit tone deaf, her writing can often be too sxually explicit, and the wording is just a missed opportunities. The visuals are mostly disappointing and they're just not great.
I can't actually find what is wrong with the Encore though. It's pretty much solve everything that's wrong with TLOAS, sure Cleveland! can be bad, but everyone praise her anyway for Blank Space and Dress (which are arguably more corny). The visuals, the album cover, and the MV are great and get the message across (unlike most of TLOAS' visuals). The lyricism is fine, it's not Folklore or TTPD, but that's how it should be, it's not fountain pen songs, it's not supposed to be one, there's no ‘I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere’ in the entirety of 1989 yet it's still a bop, because you don't need to say ‘there's invisible string tying me to you' as a showgirl, ‘ I found mine ’ get the job done.
And again, Slut!, Dress, I Did Something Bad, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Blank Space, Style, Shake It Off are doing lyrically (arguably) WORSE than Wood, CANCELLED!, and the Encore
For side by side comparison :
You can tell me when it's over, mm
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
Vs
We lie back
A beautiful, beautiful time lapse
Ferris wheels, kisses and lilacs
And things I said were dumb
or..
Carve your name into my bedpost
'Cause I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Take it off
Vs
I hope you realized my kind of trouble wasn't worth it
And the way I treated you, you never deserved it
And I swear to God, to this day
I wake up scared that I left scars on a good person
Or
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto (TTPD by the way)
Vs
I know it seems like he shines so bright
But he's bathing in your reflected light
On a free solo social climb
or...
But what would you do if I went to touch you now?
What would you do if they never found us out?
What would you do if we never made a sound?
Vs
"She's not as hot as she was, but she was only a four"
"She was never a girls' girl," "She was just a—"
2026-09-29 18:10
The only way I can see Babylon being about “showgirl” is if the song they hate is a Taylor Swift song. If she is part of the nostalgia as a weapon. I wish the song offered this perspective clearly, if that was the intention.
2026-09-29 18:09
I can do it with a broken heart is more of a Showgirl song than any of the ones on the album.
2026-09-29 18:00
to the girl who wrote "in your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team", where are u now
2026-09-29 17:56
What frustrates me about the Travis songs is that she has spent 20 years writing about finding her perfect person, and her sadness on songs like the Prophecy that she thinks she never will, but when she has found the man who she can call the love of her life she has basically nothing at all to offer that shows *why*, she can only say that he is. Marriage always seemed like such a huge deal to her but she's writing about Travis like he's no different to any other fling, and it is shocking that the best example of a Travis love song is about Matty Healy
2026-09-29 17:56
You know, I actually came around to Opalite when I sae the music video. I went from pure hate to smiling.
2026-09-29 17:55
My first thought on how Cleveland! sounds was a winter map in a game. I visualize Kirby on a sledge. Christmas was my second thought ?
2026-09-29 17:34
What did you think of Cara Delevigne showing up in her music video? ?
2026-09-29 17:32
I wonder if the Cleveland haters are at least in part the football fans rather than Swiftie haters or the internet at large. I suspect she has some sort of burner account to watch football content surrounding Travis, and for a while the football fan backlash to her existing at games was crazy.
2026-09-29 17:25
I think she needs to be going in to fiction again, it will be great! To use your imagination. And before you say "it wasn't really fiction", I think all fiction is inspired by life and dont forget Joe co-wrote of some of the saddest ones.
2026-09-29 17:18
Someone said Taylor wrote Cleveland! to haunt the Macy’s workers in Ohio this Christmas ?
2026-09-29 17:15
You know what is actually pissing me off, Wood started of as a really good song and then just went downhill. I think we are just glad that Pink Clouding remained the same throughout ?
2026-09-29 17:08
about Babylon ... isn't she maybe singing about her critiques here as well?
on first listen i was actually associating a fan disappointed by TLOASG sitting in a train and realizing all they want is to listen to one certain song of it.
And I reeeallly wonder why I see nobody taking into account what Babylon is famous for - and that is its tower and the confusion of tongues during its construction. Could apply to all the different interpretations and misunderstandings of her work that had to come up considering how big it has gotten.
2026-09-29 17:03
Is this Taylor being an pathological people pleaser? Maybe Joe Alwyn DID had a point... and Travis cant provide her with constructive critism because this is the sort of stuff he likes anyway. And she wants to make her man happy more than anything.
2026-09-29 17:02
y'all are really pushing for this patreon lol
2026-09-29 16:57
THE BUILD-A-SIM AND THE OFFICE THEME SONG COMMENTS GOT ME ?
2026-09-29 16:54
A good angle for the "so hate all you like, this is the love of my life" would have been the discourse about him and their relationship specifically. All the "he's dumb" "what are they even talking about all day" etc
2026-09-29 16:53
Guys, please don’t miss it. She now wants to succeed as a director rather than music. She will make music for it, and she will get a prize at the award ceremony and make all the strategies to be recognized. Do you think it‘s necessary to analyze music seriously?
2026-09-29 16:49
I said online that I would rather listen to ME!, Superman and thank you Aimee (my least favourite songs btw) all the way through on repeat for the rest of my life than play Cleveland! ever again. That did not go down well with the masses ?
2026-09-29 16:40
Ok but saying "she really could before absorb the zeitgeist of the moment and go with it" *cuts to ed sheering rapping on reputation*
2026-09-29 16:35
i propose we banish her to long pond studio with nothing but a guitar and a notebook, bon iver style, and shes not allowed to come back until she makes something good and acoustic.
2026-09-29 16:22
‘I knew it, I knew you says the same thing Babylon says’ … why are you exposing your illiteracy like that.
IKIIKY is not about (you’re not present in the moment).
2026-09-29 16:17
i loved this this album. i think if you liked her other mocking songs it's because you weren't the ones called out at the time. happiness is simple. she has given me the soundtrack to my life. this is the first album where she is happy and secure let her have fun.
2026-09-29 16:16
The fact that you guys put an hour and a half of thoughts into 4 songs, longer than Tay did
2026-09-29 16:04
Patient zero in general is about gaslighting and losing a sense of self as the victim. We keep saying she should explore other concepts if she’s done singing about her own love life. Well this was an attempt…
2026-09-29 16:03
Guys, but don't you think that this release was just meant to keep the machine moving? Cash out the multiple variants, get the 2026 records, etc. It seems to me that she is more interested in stablishing her legacy through numbers rather than anything else at this point...
2026-09-29 16:02
1:16:09 in the words of a different songwriter who just released some A+ songwriting: “if you’re gonna make a wish, then you’d better be specific / you’re gonna have to live it every day”
(actually, damn, i just realized: the lyrics of that whole song are more “the real life of a showgirl” than all of TLOAS is! for interested parties, the song is “haunted” from the new phoebe bridgers album)
2026-09-29 15:51
I can't explain how overwhelming it was to only notice the eye on the cover during this discussion
2026-09-29 15:49
Sounds like you've been having issues with some Swifty viewers so going to out myself. I'm not a massive fan, I've listened to about 3 of her songs. My only exposure is hearing you both speak about her ? I watch all of your videos. So no issues from me.
2026-09-29 15:43
I had a conversation with my wife last night where I said how we all thought that the joke of Taylor not being to write good songs when she was happy was false bc look at all the songs she wrote about Joe, but the gag of it all is that a) a lot of that relationship wasn’t happy we now know and b) a lot of songs we thought were about Joe or we thought were fictional, were about Matty and she was deeply pining for him while acting happy. So it does seem like when she’s in a happy relationship, her songs just suck ?
2026-09-29 15:43
Sometimes y‘all are really insufferable to listen to.
2026-09-29 15:41
I feel like this song was directed towards Kayla Nicole and Kayla’s fans that hate Taylor. It’s like a ‘nah nah ha ha Travis married me and not you and I got the last word’ kind of song. Purposely petty.
2026-09-29 15:40
They are the same age. Both 36 turning 37 soon.
2026-09-29 15:40
5:37 uhm yeah we do know and it has a meaning. 000 in showbiz is code for an encore. Resetting the stage to zero.
2026-09-29 15:34
Also, can I just say. You can be one of the best songwriters and sometimes produce mid work.
Admitting that it is not great won't make you less, it will make you honest.
2026-09-29 15:33
yes! please more honest reviews like this y'all are hilarious and I agree with every single point
2026-09-29 15:25
When I first heard Cleveland, I misheard "I found mine" as "I've been fucked" and tbh.... "I have an important announcement to make: Ive been fucked!" Would be pretty funny and maybe would've improved the song. Beating the sexless creature allegations
2026-09-29 15:20
madeline might be right that cleveland isn’t *worse* then all of the rest of showgirl. i mean, i think showgirl has a few winners on it (i’d say i actually actively enjoy at least 50% of it?)
if i was only allowed one skip on the entire showgirl encore edition, would i reserve it for Cleveland?? well…maybe. i think i might actually have to skip Eldest Daughter. The bridge is good, but I can’t even tolerate getting to the bridge. it was my one “always skip” before this week, even when playing the album as background music.
is cleveland my number 2 skip? yeah, maybe.
2026-09-29 15:19
Another issue with Cleveland is that she literally meets parents after three days? it really takes away from the magnitude of that when she makes charming the parents an Olympic sport
2026-09-29 15:11
In my opinion the life of a show girl should’ve been an EP. Tracks 1-4 are really good and from the deluxe patient zero and Babylon were great. So we could’ve had an ep of 6 tracks that were all great.
2026-09-29 15:11
“He already took me to Cleveland” is giving “We can leave the Christmas lights up til January”. She has been known for an “uhhhh…okay?” moment ?
2026-09-29 15:10
The additional tracks wouldn't have done anything for showgirl either way imo (I do appreciate pink clouding and Babylon just cuz they remind me she's an actual human being writing these songs) but Cleveland ruined it. Doesn't matter wether she's entirely serious or not, it's too hard to distinguish from her tone and too easy to come up with bad faith interpretations. Whatever she wanted to achieve wasn't worth further ruining her image as a songwriter. It feels like she's back in that 2015 mindset of knowing she's doing too much but continuing anyway. The problem is she can't be canceled now to give her a reality check. The grammys really are the only way. She needs a complete snub, not just in the big categories. Although her echo chamber seems so strong she'll apply the
"everyone's just a hater" mindset to that too. She's clearly run out of things to say, why isn't she exploring other avenues she claims to be into? I'm begging for the movie at this point. And why do all of this when Debut TV was the obvious choice? She must genuinely believe this was a good recovery which she must think was needed because she clearly took enough feedback to constantly emphasize her songwriting while ignoring showgirls existence. Also, if I was newly and happily married to the love of my life I would be really damn bothered by people saying I'm not writing good love songs about him. I think she's grown so accustomed to writing from a negative head space she can't snap out of it to safe her life. So she reverts back to haters and me and you against the world which she's done hundreds of times before but there's no fire behind it because it isn't true. She's mad at nothing and that points at someone still unsatisfied while having everything and amongst other things that just isn't relatable anymore. She needs to adapt and/ or realize we don't need to hear every single thought she has
2026-09-29 15:10
Thank you for your content ! Been soooo dumbstruck by some swifties defending Cleveland like I'm a bad person for not liking it and saying I don't like the cringy song.... Love others cringy songs of hers.... Just not my cam and it seems I can't say it respectfully ?
2026-09-29 15:03
You’re being wayyyyy too hard on Encore. I like it better every time I listen to it.
2026-09-29 15:02
35:35 ts is frying me omg ???????
2026-09-29 14:55
Honestly patient zero hit hard for me. Even more after the video. I am a dv survivor and this song hit the nail on the head. I feel like this is going to be a dv anthem.
2026-09-29 14:52
“?Oh I like that ?” got me ?
2026-09-29 14:49
She can't stop and sit the fuck down and no one is stopping her. which is fucking sad because since now she has everything one could have she has the freedom to be so picky and ruthless with song selection and has TIME most of all she has the money and name to lean the fuck back. Someone stop this. I'm not even a Swift fan but I see the potential after hearing Folklore (after this hot garbage I'm questioning if she wrote anything at all on that) and it's scary how she has regressed since then. The best ones know when to stop and she NEEDS to stop releasing for a few years. Just sit with herself. She said she doesn't want to sit back and let others succeed but at this point it's not even about others (because the other pop girlies are surpassing her real time) but it's getting humiliating for her because it sounds like she is purely releasing the scrapped drafts fished from the bin and feeding it to the audience while also polluting her own mind with made up hate and purely focusing on that. With all the love but this woman needs therapy.
2026-09-29 14:38
Madeline once again killing it in the tshirt department
2026-09-29 14:36
25:35
2026-09-29 14:32
The disappointments Taylor has served over the last few years would have been truly unbearable if not for y’all’s commentary. True and necessary catharsis for this fan since debut era ? thank you for your service
2026-09-29 14:31
“Bafflingly combative- part of the new form of cringe she’s created” - love the way you put this.
2026-09-29 14:13
There's no other podcast where I feel people mastered the subject of their podcast this much as you guys.
2026-09-29 14:12
I feel like these takes are extremely reactionary. It’s getting lost in the “Cleveland!” of it all. My personal favorite is “Patient Zero”, but I can understand it seeming a bit clunky and unpolished, but that is what I genuinely personally like it about, and the excellent outro too.
What I disagree the most about is “Pink Clouding”, I cannot seem to understand why you think it’s dealing with the same themes as “Getaway Car”, if anything I think it builds on where that song left off, and the introspective-i-was-the-problem song is not common in her discography. The production feels more “1989” than “Lover” to me. Also, it delivers my favorite line on the encore, “That’s why you haunt me like you should”. I genuinely believe people will come around to this song after the “Cleveland!” outrage cools down.
And your interpretation of “Babylon” is half baked. I don’t think she’s just getting at a universal truth like in “It’s Time To Go”, it’s more specific. But I don’t think I can articulate exactly why I disagree.
To me, these 3 tracks are better than most of the OG Showgirl and Cleveland! is more listenable than Eldest Daughter so automatically it’s not the worst song on the album.
2026-09-29 14:04
I didn't even notice the eye ? until listening. Is it supposed to be a period? Is this the all seeing eye?
2026-09-29 14:03
Is obession with cats a millennial thing? Is that why i love cats so much? Are you mad i said you were a millennial? I promise i wasn't trying to offend/make you mad.
2026-09-29 14:02
I really was hoping to get songs like I Know Places, My Tears Ricochet, and Blank Space or even Look What You Made Me Do as Showgirl themes....but sadly no. This album had a couple of fun lyrics and good songs...but it's been a long time, almost never to this degree, since T. Swift has disappointed me this much. Here's hoping she writes something meaningful and interesting about her marriage to Travis in the future. Thanks to this community for being a space where we can discuss and not just jump to extremes.
2026-09-29 13:56
2:18 no, there are not. It's so weird! Even online places with words like "neutral" or "nuance" in the name do not allow any commentary that is at alll critical or less than positive of Taylor. The only places that allow it are literally snark spaces and that's not what I'm interested in, either. It is truly bizarre how speech is suppressed IRT Taylor Swift.
2026-09-29 13:52
She should have made Cleveland OTT intentionally funny instead of accidentally funny
2026-09-30 09:22
Message in a Bottle lover catching strays every damn day...
2026-09-30 09:00
you guys are still interacting with Taylor the Artist instead of The Taylor Swift Corporation and that is why you are missing the point of these songs entirely... you need to grieve whatever version of her you think you know and are so attached to. She is too big of an artist to give you transparent access into her every thought and feeling. Especially when her fans are known to get actively involved in her personal/business life and make messes.
2026-09-30 08:59
21:10 me when I'm michael jackson
2026-09-30 08:57
55:56 “important announcement to make” is genuinely spelling is fun level bad
2026-09-30 08:46
54:28 showed me the heights is mine. ANOTHER plug for his podcast??? Gonna be awful embarrassing if they ever split
2026-09-30 08:45
53:23 Chicago mentioned YAYY
2026-09-30 08:42
I didn't hate Showgirl, but even I didn't want a deluxe album. I was so ready for Debut or Rep TV and was lowkey disappointed when she announced the encore.
2026-09-30 08:42
Madeleine the Twin Peaks tshirt????
2026-09-30 08:41
Actually showgirl is just a special experiment to ragebait all the folk-more-poets stans into leaving the swiftie spaces so only the most loyal fans stay and get her magnum opus TS13 and we can go back to gatekeep her
2026-09-30 08:35
theory! TS got addicted to chat GPT and it has affected her songwritting. she does not use it for songwirtting but is one of them who needs chat gpt to tell them what to eat or shit like that
2026-09-30 08:28
36:57 agreed which is crazy because for me pink clouding is the most listenable song on the album. i’ll take taylor on autopilot cosplaying as her old self over this new bitter one who forgot how to write ?
2026-09-30 08:26
Brave takes and I complete agree as a former swiftie (I’ve finally called it quits, it started with her role in the Lively/Baldoni situation) — this album was garbage, the encore was even bigger garbage. She’s risking her legacy and this is genuinely her regressing. I’m officially done giving her my money. ? loved these takes tho! Totally agree
2026-09-30 08:24
As a theater kid at heart, the opening strings in “patient zero” reminded me sooooo much of “Wait For Me” from Hadestown and it’s all I hear.
2026-09-30 08:23
Am I the only one who thinks Patient Zero sounds like Lady Gaga’s Telephone?
2026-09-30 08:21
The encore is the second tower getting hit .
2026-09-30 08:20
i fear she just doesn’t listen to constructive criticism anymore ever since she got herself a mantra that "people might not like the album now, but they will eventually". but the thing is, people hated reputation and lover when it came out because the first one "scared" those who were used to her docile image and the second one because the chosen singles were silly even though it carried important messages, but both of those albums had great songs and lyricism on it overall. showgirl simply doesn’t and that’s the thing
2026-09-30 08:17
28:15 midnights is her last album that really did this
2026-09-30 08:11
Madeline: Cleveland she's fucking around
Zach: Well I hate it
All anyone needs to know ?
2026-09-30 07:54
Maybe they give tortured Poets Department such bad reviews she said let me show u what actual bad music is u haters ???.
2026-09-30 07:53
The deluxe tracks are more unpopular with a general public because of Cleveland! - that's what I've been seeing. There were locals who streamed showgirl - fate of Ophelia and opalite were popular with locals and well liked - there was discourse online but your average local liked the singles. Girl no one is streaming patient zero and no one likes Cleveland
2026-09-30 07:49
I can't help but think of the promo where she is directing Showgirl Taylor in the (Target?) ad. She's directing her own petty cringey side and needs to get all this sass out in the wake of always having to look refined and seem perfect. I love these sentiments and the album and I'm sad to hear of all the hate. But love you guys and always enjoy listening! Thoughtful and reflective as usual. ?
2026-09-30 07:41
I agree that the issue with encore songs that there are much better Taylor Swift songs already expressing the same idea but with better execution. Call it what you want also talks about not caring about the haters because the love she feels reduces it to background noise and it actually makes the love the focal point of the song. Cleveland on the other hand while attempting to make the same point to me comes across as trying to prove to everyone she does not care about the noise while very much demonstrating that she does in fact care.
2026-09-30 07:38
6:40 i just finished watching the dropout so when i saw that photo i also immediately thought elizabeth holmes ? her theranos tease
2026-09-30 07:38
Hot take: This fandom is not ready to admit that she can’t pop very well without Jack Antonoff. That’s the missing piece ?
2026-09-30 07:27
?️
2026-09-30 07:27
Truly girl needs to read the room for real. You have more money than God at a time when the public is struggling more and more and guess what? That takes precedent over you being a victim of some hate - especially when we are watching you spend millions on a wedding and being so out of touch with any kind of reality.
2026-09-30 07:21
YES 32:10 like girl WHAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT?!?!?!? It looks really bad - like all that preaching about independence, your life and experiences matter, your feelings, and it isn't about the men, all of that was just said to stay popular with girl bosses? I don't believe it but now that is what it looks and feels like. For the message now to be "I obviously have value because a man liked me enough to marry me" is nasty, or rather he doesn't find her completely insufferable. If it was meant to be a joke she needs to look around. When the dialogue today about what is happening in heterosexual relationships is exactly that the bar is on the floor for men then that doesn't look tongue in cheek in a song bragging about how you have a man.
And god I want to be wrong truly. I hope this is a momentary lapse, and she reflects and proves that she does believe in all the things she was promoting in songs before. And she probably will, she is too business savvy to let this go on too long in a culture that looks like it does today. (Which technically I guess that would not mitigate the heart of the issue if she were to just go back to the girl boss narrative just because these ideas do so poorly with the public.) Idk maybe the damage has been done.
2026-09-30 07:15
Long story short: she's writing songs for the haters when she should write them for the fans, and she's writing simple lyrics so Travis can understand them.
2026-09-30 07:09
This episode is PURE GOLD ??
2026-09-30 07:08
Can someone conjure back the soul that wrote Your On Your Own, Kid from the limbo it has been sent to and put it back into that gorgeous body, please?
2026-09-30 06:49
I really like the songs! Patient Zero has wormed it’s way into my brain.
2026-09-30 06:16
She's not happy in this relationship and she wants the world to think that she is exuberant. That's why she can't write anything meaningful about him. Just compare any Travis song to State of Grace, Call it What You Want etc etc..
2026-09-30 06:15
poor max martin and shellback getting their names attached to this
2026-09-30 05:56
“It’s nothing of the sort.”??
2026-09-30 05:53
There’s no defending Cleveland. It’s a terrible song and she’s delusional.
2026-09-30 05:53
I agree the subject matter of Patient Zero is something that really would have been better explored between Jack and Taylor. Which actually leads into my (unsolicited) take on why Showgirl is laden with anger even amidst Taylor’s otherwise loving relationship!
Patient Zero, despite its flaws, made some very pointed and clear revelations about her relationship with JA. I think it’s safe to say that relationship did serious, lasting damage to her. I don’t think she’s “done the healing,” like she says in the lyrics; it sounds like she’s very much still processing her experience. So Showgirl sounds pissed off because Taylor herself is still pissed off! It’s just unfortunate because it's totally possible and NORMAL to be in love with someone new while still healing (I was in this boat when I started dating my now-husband), but that concept isn't being intentionally explored in any meaningful way. I'm not even sure that Taylor realizes how much anger is permeating the songs...
2026-09-30 05:53
i do find tloas pretty mid but pink clouding is my guilty pleasure
2026-09-30 05:49
I love watching the positive Australian girlies (chats and Ally) but then I come here to find some balance haha
2026-09-30 05:41
Were getting Debut TV November 10th.
2026-09-30 05:37
The "get someone younger" was a big discourse on trad twitter (ugh). They were retweeting the engagement announcement with "don't any other ladies think they can wait until they're 36 to get married! Men won't want you when you're old and your eggs are gone!" And then added how he was going to leave her for someone younger eventually. Was absolutely disgusting.
2026-09-30 05:33
What I find baffling about these songs is the lack of romance and love songs in these whole era?? I understand not wanting to get into relationship specifics but it truly is bizarre that she wrote these not long after her engangement and Cleveland is all she has to write about the love of her life she's about to marry, when she wrote Enchanted after meeting a random guy at a party she never saw again?? Like the woman who wrote You Are In Love and Lover can't find inspiration to write an epic love song for her husband?
2026-09-30 05:14
The "I think, therefore i swifty" got me hahaha
2026-09-30 05:14
Cleveland! is poop from a butt but the people acting like the bridge was supposed to be taken in earnest has had me pulling my hair out. Thank you.
2026-09-30 05:00
I hate what she did with the showgirl concept. Like it literally pains me
2026-09-30 04:47
At first I thought Patient Zero was about a Scott Brushette type of person, like how they charm you but they're actually the devil and a commentary on fame etc - like a companion to Father Figure.
2026-09-30 04:42
Every time I remember that rolling stone scored both TTPD and Showgirl a 5/5...I am baffled. That is objectively impossible.
2026-09-30 04:40
All of TS’s corny songs - Shake it off, Me!, 22, blank space,London Boy, etc - TS took the personal and made it universal. That’s partially why those songs were fun. What is universal about Cleveland? It’s actually embarrassing to admit anything in Cleveland is relatable unlike the earlier “corny” songs mentioned. It feels like this was a rage song she needed to write but didn’t think about how it needs to be consumed and somewhat universal?
2026-09-30 04:38
I think I hated encore even more because I was expecting some mention of her success. During the announcement she mentioned the record breaking numbers that showgirl did. Like write about THAT!!! Instead, what she writes centers her marriage and makes that seem like the biggest accomplishment. Like you’re Taylor Swift, an icon, THAT is your success!!!! “Getting a man is not anything to brag about”
2026-09-30 04:13
That's right!!!! Open heart and mind..... Babylon/Pink Clouding and Patient Zero are SO SO GOOD.
2026-09-30 04:06
This is the beginning of the reveal that Taylor does not, and has never, written her own songs. She is just too cheap now (comically, as a billionaire) to pay her former writers what they’re worth. And so you get this delusional AI slop. It will not improve unless and until she decides her fans actually care about the quality of her output, measured in dollars.
The NYT interview was unhinged and showed she cannot meaningfully discuss her process (or a variety of thoughts) coherently in any way. Bc she has none. Everything just magically comes to her somehow, according to Taylor. Compared to Billie and Phinneas discussing 1 single song for like 45 mins, the difference is telling.
2026-09-30 04:01
I miss Joe
2026-09-30 03:59
Cleveland is the lowest of lows for her. It’s completely abysmal.
2026-09-30 03:57
vis a vis the not wanting to make travis look bad of it all, olivia rodrigo comes to mind. the love interest in you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is almost secondary in that album to what the narrator is experiencing. a song like the cure is extremely refreshing because it's a take on love that centers the person who is in love in a way that is new in the world of pop. it's the kind of songwriting that can only come from someone's very unique perspective on life, and beyond that, it's proof that you can write songs about love that don't center a love interest. taylor very much could write about travis without actually writing about travis, I just don't think she knows (or wants to figure out) how. yet, at least. but the issue with that is that, the more she tries to tell us she's deliriously happy and in love, the less convincing it will start to seem. because happiness is never eternal.
2026-09-30 03:52
Yes! I agree that with Cleveland!, there were times when I could barely hear Taylor singing over the production/instrumental. I had wished that they mixed it so that her singing was louder or the instrumental was lower. Another thing that detracts from the song
2026-09-30 03:38
14:06 this is the defense that bothers me the most because as zach said immediately after, taylor has generally established herself as an artist _with depth._ so much of the criticism she has gotten throughout her career has been about putting the depth and artistry of her work into question because she's Taylor SwiftTM. folklore was such a turning point for her because for the first time ever, the non-swifties were realizing what we had known all along: taylor swift has depth and artistry and knows how to tell a fucking story. so to me, saying "not everything is that deep" or "you would like it if you weren't allergic to fun" is treating her art the way everyone (mainly men lbr) have treated her art since forever: without any expectation of depth because she's Taylor SwiftTM. they're arriving at the same endpoint as the people who have dismissed her for decades. basically, they're not taking her art seriously and it doesn't matter to me that they got there because they love her so much, the place they got to was the same.
2026-09-30 03:36
I'm an older swifty, so I don't know all her old songs, so it doesn't seem repetitive to me. And I actually don't mind these songs, except for Cleveland okay, I will be honest, cleveland's is not my favorite, but I found myself humming it at random times so I guess it's working.
2026-09-30 03:35
Reminds me of how the marvel movies keep being sequels and references and then you had to watch everything to watch the newer marvel movies. TS albums have become like that. Like I need to have heard and read about her to understand her work. And it also sucks that she is one of the biggest richest and most influential pop star in the world and she refuses to talk about anything relevant in the world. And the whole I’m catering to the teenager pov she has is something I hate as a millennial TS fan. Coz girl I moved on from my high school so long back. Why doesn’t she sing more about her other life experiences. Look at how Beyoncé’s songs have evolved with her age
2026-09-30 03:32
it’s almost like she’s scared she’s becoming washed up and is trying so hard to avoid it that it’s become a self fulfilling prophecy ? like girl we know you have it in you to top your last album pls do it!!!
2026-09-30 03:28
People are saying “you just hate happy Taylor” but these songs don’t sound happy to me at all. They’re very spiteful.
I think “But Daddy I Love Him” is a good example of “fuck the haters, I love my man” because it’s well written and truly seemed like she didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought because she was on cloud nine (although maybe a bit manic lol). But with these new songs it’s less about “I don’t care what the haters think because I’m happy”, and more so “the haters got under my skin and I actually want to get back at them”.
2026-09-30 03:14
Imagine Cleveland but instead of talking about the insecurities through the lense of "they" and using the elusive "they" as a Greek chorus, she names them as her insecurities and how being with him changed how she sees herself. That could actually have been a good song.
2026-09-30 03:14
Im going to get jumped for this and that’s fair but I’m starting to think she’s kinda forcing it with Travis a little bit… idk if she’s as happy and in love as she wants us to think she is. Maybe she was so determined to change the prophecy that she settled. It’s the only reason that I can come up with for why these songs are so empty.
2026-09-30 03:00
1:19:39 my favorite part
2026-09-30 03:00
Madeline, you are on FIRE in this one. Kohl’s commercial? Lifetime movie? Mama’s wine glass? C— shot? You had me laughing so hard ??????
2026-09-30 02:51
I was laughing so hard when I had my first listen to Cleveland.
2026-09-30 02:49
59:59 yes please please please ❤❤❤❤❤
2026-09-30 02:49
Madeline defending parts of Cleveland while Zach is just having none of it absolutely killed me. 55:25 "This is when the song takes off" had me crying laughing. I think the song is genuinely some of the worst music I have ever heard in my life but I have to respect Madeline's defense because it's just so funny.
2026-09-30 02:44
I enjoyed a lot how she SOUNDS in babylon but I don't think it is super well written either
2026-09-30 02:38
when the part where you say "so high school is most of what she can offer up about Travis" it got me thinking, if IF, Cleveland is the byproduct of her struggle as a confessional songwriter in retrospect of her previous muses. Because as you said, his image reflects to her now, so in that area she's restrained artistically. Could it be that, Cleveland is a byproduct of a struggle between wanting to share and not wanting to share the deeper parts of her current muse? idk man but that i thought of Gorgeous... Call it what you want. But yeah, maybe she just doesn't want to offer anything of the imagery from the two songs. But also, I think, as you said, if she doesn't want to offer then don't. offer something else. But what if she's also conflicted like wanting to offer but not wanting to offer at the same time (in previous way) so this is her offer instead..
2026-09-30 02:36
We are asking for the answer to that second question ?
2026-09-30 02:31
I dont dislike Patient Zero as much as most people do, but girlie, someone needs to take that director chair away from you
2026-09-30 02:28
51:19 “they hate me, and I’m in Cleveland!” Madeline kills me lol
2026-09-30 02:22
Me! Being a funny song is totally justifiable because the main idea of the song being funny, celebrating, enjoying.
But, Cleveland tried to be a clap back song, but it was so mid. In her clap back songs like shake if off, she handled it so beautifully the criticism.
2026-09-30 02:22
Can anyone explain to me how the songs on the encore were things we already discussed? Like Cleveland I get but Babylon to me seems like the reflection and introspection and maybe even healing of the I hate it here mindset, very mid writing for her still, but as a concept I think the encore (and this I feel like applies to all tloas) had something going, the ideas were good it was just the execution that needed some “you should work on this cause it’s not good as it is”. So back to my original question, how do these songs feel like we already talked about it before? Am I missing some songs?
(Note: I’m referencing stuff discussed around the 13:35 mark)
2026-09-30 02:20
i don’t think max is out of ideas coz petal was fire. You know what else was fire, found heaven ?????
2026-09-30 02:17
zach looking like ?every time he reads a review
2026-09-30 02:16
After listening to Cleveland I really felt like I was listening to one of my friends who changes after they're married. ❤❤
But I still care for her.
2026-09-30 02:14
I'm 100% on Zack's side with Cleveland lmao that song is straight up noise pollution. I also totally agree what was said about Jack. I think he really could have elevated Patient Zero. I also think it's baffling he was never on Showgirl in the first place. She wanted 1989 hooks and beats with Folklore lyrics, and like... you need Jack for that. He was on both albums. He's the one who is going to take it to that level. I think Aaron is needed too, but at the very least, she should've been working with the Swedes and Jack on this. I think it would've been a much better album if he was involved.
2026-09-30 02:13
PLEASE do a 'Taylor songs for people with taste' video! I need this in a big way.
2026-09-30 01:56
Here is my tea, even the worst Taylor Swift album is still an okay album.
2026-09-30 01:56
Yall call it criticism but it’s blatant hate at this point. Dont try to mask it by saying it’s criticism. The comments do not pass the vibe check. I don’t like every Taylor song. That’s normal. You can’t expect to like every song from your fave artist. But to complain on the internet over and over again is getting old. If you don’t like it, skip it and listen to the songs you like from her. Like she said in her interview, “Hope you like it in 5 years, if not I made it for myself anyways”.
If you wouldn’t say that criticism to her face, then you’re crossing the line. I’m sick of the fan entitlement. If I ever criticize my friends I say things with love and intention. It’s supposed to be CONSTRUCTIVE.
The lack of gratitude is honestly crazy to me. How can you call yourself a fan and lack basic human respect towards her. Her music has healed me throughout my life and for that I’ll always be grateful. So what if she has a few flop songs. I’m not gonna completely shit on her for it. Even if you pass it as a joke, a joke is supposed to be lighthearted and funny, a lot of these comments are straight up mean.
The black and white thinking among several comments I’ve seen is also ridiculous. People putting other people down for liking the music because they think it’s bad and their opinion is a fact. I personally only really enjoy pink clouding from the encore but I’m not gonna say that you have shit taste if you love all 4. Honestly more joy to you then.
2026-09-30 01:49
Great discussion I agree. TayTay needs to chill for a sec on the new song releases.
2026-09-30 01:40
i just want to point out the "picking orchids from the vine" lyric actually has multiple meanings. Picking orchids can mean being highly selective in dating or chasing status (or fame).
2026-09-30 01:29
I’m not the baddest and this isn’t savage ?‼️???
2026-09-30 01:26
the bridge of patient zero reminds me of bejeweled, she talks a lot in that one too
2026-09-30 01:21
I enjoy listening to Patient Zero from the perspective of "him" being the music industry & Taylor starting her own record label. ?
2026-09-30 01:20
Opalite is awful
2026-09-30 01:14
Opalite is travis favorite song from Showgirl, he said on his podcast.
2026-09-30 01:05
Everyone talks about shake it off and blank space for good clap backs but someone needs to give New Romantics to respect it deserves!!! 1989 had good clap backs in terms of self aware “this is who I am” vibes, not this weird “shove it, haters” venom she’s doing rn.
2026-09-30 01:04
Wow? 19:23 make so much sense on the Travis is now part of taylorswift brand
2026-09-30 00:56
The creativity we are getting from her contemporaries and the QUALITY we are getting from her contemporaries has me listening to Showgirls absolutely none…. What a shame that the Encore is even worse at times than the original album.
2026-09-30 00:50
this comment is gonna be an essay, but because this is an analysis video, i thought might as well. there are points that i agree and disagree with zach and madeline. and i just wanna put in my takes and my interpretation here.
1. the hate that the encore receives genuinely shocked me. not because i think these are great songs or anything. but because i was reading the comments under the encore lyric videos on youtube, and i saw hate comments on top?? usually no matter how hated a taylor's song is, the youtube comments will always be full glazing. but with the encore, those negative opinions are not hard to find. they're right there every other comment, i didn't even need to scroll down. it wasn't the content of the comments, so much as it was a completely new phenomena to me that the algorithm has forsaken taylor's youtube comment section??
2. i've said this before in zach's previous video, and i'll say this again here. on the surface, patient zero is a song about taylor getting a call from an ex's new woman. but because this is showgirl, my theory is that the story is a metaphor where taylor tells us the listener that if we've ever been a victim of love, her songs exist as a respite so that we don't feel so alone. in that way, i think it fits the showgirl narrative. but i do agree with zach that patient zero doesn't add anything to the conversation, because mirrorball has said it way better in the past. personally i don't really fw the melody like that, but i love the title. i think patient zero is a cool title which unfortunately got the same treatment as eldest daughter. intriguing title for a meh song. i disagree with zach and madeline about the bridge though, i think it's the best part of the song. but nothing atw10 hasn't said. plot wise, i also think patient zero is the narcissist guy taylor ran away from in pink clouding (gray rocking)
3. i'm too non-american to be bothered by cleveland. i've loved that song since the moment i heard it. and because i don't know shit about america's geography, i understand that cleveland represents her man's hometown instead of how fancy it is, and that's the sentiment of it, and i think the self-deprecating aspect of it is wholesome. but i agree that it's a nothing song. i feel like if we focus less on the haters, and more on the fact that we're at the place where the love interest grew up... if we focus more on travis' origin story, the way he was raised, why he is the way he is, what she loves about him because of that, in more depth than what she wrote about joe alwyin in london boy... if she can make a person like me who doesn't give two shits about travis kelce, like him, i think the song'd actually have something to talk about. if cleveland is just the way it is rn, ciwyw is already there. i also think it can replace wish list and nobody would notice.
4. i think pink clouding is the best song out of these 4, and a good song of its own. i think this song absolutely adds to the conversation a concept she hasn't done in her discography. i think it's the mature version of getaway car. the connection to cleveland also makes sense. she's looking back not in a "girl you just got married, why are you still reminiscing about your ex?" way, and more about "i'm about to open a new door in my life with travis, and i can't enter the room if there's still other door left ajar, so let me close it real quick" way. i love the fact that taylor getting her happy ending led her to reflect back to the wrongs she's done. i think this haunting echoes the "oftentimes it doesn't feel so glamorous to be me" statement of the showgirl. i love the concept of feeling guilty but also conflicted whether an apology is the best thing to give at this stage of their lives. if it would just be audacious to show up in front of his door after all these years just to say sorry. so she just wishes him well from afar, hope that life treats him kind after she wasn't. she closes that chapter and moves on.
5. babylon also echoes the "oftentimes it doesn't feel so glamorous to be me" statement, because that man is the showgirl. this is the behind the curtain peak we were asking for. he went from having a hand-me-down sweater to 20 watches in the safe. but this is the other side of it where he's not seen glittering from the stage. even though he's elizabeth taylor and kitty, him being married to the hustle costs him real human connection that creates this emotional isolation of never being where he is. if pink clouding deliberately faces the past to be free from it, babylon constantly runs away and forever be trapped by it. granted, i think midnight rain said it all more succinctly, but everyone would absolutely question taylor's relationship with travis if we had that song as the closure ? i also think that there's a little bit of a commentary in "you're using nostalgia as a weapon to hurt yourself", where taylor warns us about using sadness and rumination as identity, addressing the "taylor can't write good songs if she's not sad" sentiment. i could be reaching, but that's what i caught
6. in conclusion, i think the album architecture of the encore is better than the standard showgirl. and i think these 4 songs are better enjoyed if they're seen as their own microcosm that borrows showgirl's concept
i'm surprised that anyone's read this far, but if you do, let me know if you disagree with me
2026-09-30 00:47
do you think taylor had ever watched a swiftologist video?
2026-09-30 00:41
Not YouTube giving me an ad for lifetime originals during this 1:11:18
2026-09-30 00:26
Nah because the twitter swifties are out here saying "maybe showgirl is the greatest album of all time if it makes him leave" meanwhile y'all been stanning longer than most of them were even cognizant ijbol like who do they think they're talking about ?
2026-09-30 00:24
Genuinely thought “taking me to Cleveland” must’ve been some American slang for getting laid that I hadn’t heard before. Which I thought was gross, but now what I’m hearing is this song is actually just about going to Cleveland
2026-09-30 00:08
I think I'm going to upset a lot of people but I think Taylor wants to make her and Travis's relationship seem like her and Joe when they first started dating. She was at the center of her cancellation so it honestly did make their relationship higher stakes. It made sense why in Reputation she felt as though it was her and her lover against the world. Fans were very much shocked to find out how much of the actual album was about their love story and journey through that time. I feel like this sort of relationship theme has continue for her most recent relationships. With Joe, starting from 2016 at the Kanye era to Covid and then the album re-recordings. And then with Matty, how much of not only the general public but also her own fans hated their relationship and what it could mean for the image they had of "Taylor Swift".
It feels like Taylor is again trying to invoke "it's just me and him against the world" and it's not working because that's not reality. With Travis, they got together very publicly at the height of her popularity (Eras Tour) and after Matty, the general public and fans reacted pretty positively to the news. Yes, there are corners of the internet who don't support their relationship but those corners will always be there, regardless of who she dates. Maybe she just somehow gotten stuck in this mindset or just maybe forgot to write about another type of love story but for the listeners, you can hear this almost cognitive dissonance happening and the underlaying frustration.
2026-09-30 00:06
Is it just me or does Cleveland sound kind of christmas-y? That was my first impression of it and I can't get it out of my head when I hear it
2026-09-30 00:04
not gonna watch the whole video cause thats mentally insane but cool that u guys were able to decode that shit hole of an encore and talk about it for 90 minutes without killing yourself off <3 sending u anti depressants <3
2026-09-30 00:03
The music video for Patient Zero mads the song soooo much better. Change my mind ? I love it now.
2026-09-30 21:00
Why are there so few comments about the c-shot lmao
2026-09-30 20:45
I don't know guys, I think she's just being silly and having a joke. She not tortured anymore. She's rejecting cool, and critical, she's doing yes maxxing.
2026-09-30 20:25
She has lost it after the eras tour, like what is going on ?
2026-09-30 20:12
I think I'm pretty good at reining in my parasocial relationship with Taylor and not projecting too much, but it all really jumped out when I heard Cleveland, I fear... As someone with fragile self-esteem and who has struggled with a very self-critical inner voice, I actually related to the song. Not gonna lie, it breaks my heart a little bit to imagine what it must be like to have every single aspect of you picked apart all the time, to then try to rise above it and not let it affect you too much, to try to make art about it to cope and not take it too seriously (bc she's clearly sensitive), and then be told all the ways in which your art sucks so bad it might be the worse thing you've ever made. Okay, cool... I really could not be her, man.
2026-09-30 19:26
I was anticipating TS13 but what if it ended up being Red 2: Travis' Wood now ?
2026-09-30 18:43
Showgirl the anthology the encore
2026-09-30 17:14
Totalmente de acuerdo con todo lo que dijeron, encontré mi nicho, mi novio también está de acuerdo con que no puede ser que Taylor se quede en "me odian por ser feliz" cuando NO!!!, Criticamos las canciones porque son malas y repetitivas y suenan feo ?
Espero que TS 13 nos traiga la maravilla que estamos esperando
2026-09-30 17:05
No puedo creer que alguien prefiera Cleveland! antes que opalite?!!??!
Realmente para gustos colores
2026-09-30 16:26
“You seem pretty bitter for a girl so in love” for realll
2026-09-30 15:46
Cleveland is a worse version of Me! And Wood combined
2026-09-30 15:37
14:31 can tell Zach is PISSED
2026-09-30 15:14
Pink Clouding is my favourite Showgirl song! So good! Pop perfection!
2026-09-30 15:10
I can’t believe you made it into a Philip defranco video lol ?
2026-09-30 14:54
Parissssss mentioned! Madelaine, we truly love the SAME songs ? chloe and sam forever supremacy?
2026-09-30 14:50
Anyways… Popstar by Tinashe is the real TLOASG
2026-09-30 14:49
I wish Taylor had a proper sit down with you two and listens and takes notes and works together moving forwards.
2026-09-30 14:09
Me is the song you want to hear when you’ve entered temporary psychosis for the first time…
2026-09-30 13:56
This was a dissertation worthy of mass publication to all Swifties. You both made so many salient points, you hit a bullseye every single time. The way Madeline made peace with Showgirl sent me to the moon and back.
2026-09-30 13:35
I think Showgirl this is the consequence of the crazy meth math fans begging for more music and not caring if it’s actually good…
2026-09-30 13:29
Taylor and Travis are both 1989 babies. He's like 2 months older
2026-09-30 13:25
a lot of times on this album i found her being derivative of sabrina carpenter (with the tongue-in-cheek humour) and olivia rodrigo (the 'talk singing') - which only means that she is STILL a keen observer of what is popular. the only problem is - instead of making it her own or even elevating these trends, this album jumps on the bandwagon at best, and travesties what is current and fun at worst.
2026-09-30 13:15
a lot of times on this album i found her being derivative of sabrina carpenter (with the tongue-in-cheek humour) and olivia rodrigo (the 'talk singing') - which only means that she is STILL a keen observer of what is popular. the only problem is - instead of making it her own or even elevating these trends, this album jumps on the bandwagon at best, and travesties what is current and fun at worst.
2026-09-30 13:14
I hadn't heard the Sims comparison before this.. and 10000%
2026-09-30 12:59
I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift nor do I follow her personal life closely to know all these references, but I randomly came across a review of another artist and continued watching your videos. I enjoy hearing a critical take from a self-proclaimed "swiftie" and unlike others, I don't doubt it especially when you say things like her dancing is good because only a swiftie could say that, haha. It's definitely improved, but it's still not good.
Anyway, I'm genuinely curious to hear from a fan as to why people think Taylor Swift is the best songwriter of our time? Idk if you have a video like. To me and other non-fans, all her music has always sounded like this. She's not very melodic, she comes off petty and painting herself as a victim, etc. When I reflect on great pop songwriters from the 2000s to now, I don't think she holds up to a Mariah Carey, Adele, Billie Eillish, even Amy Winehouse who I know has a limited catalog, but was a phenomenal writer nonetheless. They are some really great singer-songwriters that have been active during Taylor's career that don't get the credit. I wonder if these other artists aren't on the radar of her fandom; if it's a herd mentality thing where a few said it and know everyone thinks it; or something else.
2026-09-30 12:55
I think this is truly the last album we get from Taylor Swift before she goes openly right-wing.
2026-09-30 12:31
TaylorGPT >>>> ChatGPT
2026-09-30 12:12
Interestingly pink clouding was a cross between midnights and 1989 vault songs for me.
2026-09-30 12:00
LOL! You guys were really on one with the jokes today! Had to reply multiple some parts multiple times
2026-09-30 11:51
Pink Clouding is by far the best song on encore
2026-09-30 11:43
Dogshit is about right tbh
2026-09-30 11:34
Well what do you think the alchemy is about? and plz dont tell me matty AGAIN
2026-09-30 11:23
Greg Gutfeld frequently calls Taylor a 4 as a joke because she’s so clearly not.
2026-09-30 11:22
Meanwhile I former gaylor is having a crash out because all roads do not in fact lead to Gaylor, but that they lead to matty healy. every. time.
2026-09-30 11:15
And his father had a mother and the mother had a father and the grandma was the baby
2026-09-30 10:46
I rewatch the grammy songwriting interview, she did mention to mock someone/clapback on the haters so I think maybe that's foreshadowing she's about to double down on showgirl
2026-09-30 10:44
Taylor is focused too much on the 4 people that are upset she's with Travis and spends all of Cleveland trying to prove she's not upset about their opinions. Did the whole world not celebrate the engagement?
2026-09-30 10:41
I'm going to repost a comment I made on another channel about my thoughts of Patient Zero:
Patient Zero started with such beautiful production and I was so looking forward to a 'Ready For It' moment. The production would fit so beautifully with a rap and beautiful melody combo, so when her voice came in on the actual song it jarred me. I don't like the flow of it, it feels like a different song and 'Paris' (which I don't like so much either) sitting on top of a goregous 90s hip hop r&b track. I was so hoping she would go full r&b mixed with rap with it!!
2026-09-30 10:40
patient zero is supposed to sound like 'closer' and cleveland is supposed to sound like 'marry you' AND I KNOW THAT TO BE A FACT!!!
2026-09-30 10:39
16:20 SNAPS emily
2026-09-30 10:14
I think Cleveland! Is okaaay it’s my favourite too. I mean Obladi oblada exists so what are these couple of mid songs to the 200 + on Taylor’s catalogue
2026-09-30 10:13
She said you'll never find another like Me he he
2026-09-30 10:03
Cancelled ! and Cleveland ! are the only taylor swift songs I have blocked
2026-09-30 10:02
I think you got it when you talked about how much Travis probably loves this album - that's it, it's not for any of us, it's for him.
2026-09-30 09:59
i think she needs to focus more on creating ear worm melodies, with lyrics more edited and straight to the point, since ttpd i’m kinda tired of these “108383 word per second” songs, like girl let us have a delicious melody moment for one damn song, i feel like im reading a book, too wordy with 0 interesting melodies or production
2026-09-30 09:45
I get she wrote Cleveland! about Travis since he is from Cleveland Heights, but she could've made it a more romantic, softer song or even a bubbly love song to entangle what it means to her that her future husband is showing her around a place where he grew up. but instead its just her talking about the haters... like no? where is the happiness? its in there but when the verses are about the haters, it feels she lost the plot :/
when i showed my bf around where i grew up, after our trip he told me how much closer he felt to me and really got to understand my upbringing. Taylor could've used something like that to make a marriage song for Travis or how she felt when he was showing her around where he grew up and how that made her feel... SOMETHING! ?
2026-09-30 09:44
I think she really hasn’t gotten over fans reactions to Matty and the problems it caused her with him…. She has definitely had a love/hate relationship with fans the last decade but I feel it has shifted and it has become more about her being almost spiteful. There is definitely a shift in tone.
2026-10-01 09:20
I personally think she would’ve been better off just releasing patient zero as a single I like that song. It’s got a nice video to it, but I agree with you guys. Taylor is better than this, fingers crossed she comes out with something country soon.
2026-10-01 09:00
14:22 I agree 100%! and people are like: this is just a love song, it's not deep. Ok. We have a lot of pop love songs that aren't and are really good like: please don't stop de music, crazy in love, into you, umbrella, etc. And it's not the case of Cleveland!
2026-10-01 08:58
It's interesting you guys blamed Max Martin for the mathematic timing in the production. I feel the same way about oh well by Ariana grande. the pacing of the vocals are not aligned with the pacing of the production. Maybe Max is losing his edge.
2026-10-01 08:34
I want Wood & Cleveland in a mashup in a stadium with you two in attendance!!!
2026-10-01 08:08
Travis and Taylor are the same age by the way! His birthday is 2 months before hers.
2026-10-01 08:08
Taylor Swift is the Don Quixote of pop music, constantly charging at monsters that are actually innocuous windmills. Also blaming Travis for the song quality on Showgirl removes all of Tswift's agency as an artist and also like seems to skip right over the fact that she still can deliver a song of quality with I knew It I knew You.
Blank Space is her best "eff the haters" song because it is both specific to her experience as an artist and media celebrity BUT also relatable to any woman who has been slut shamed just for existing. She used to have a better handle of taking her extremely unique position and extrapolating a song that brings the listener in while also being like, "See, we're actually not so different." That's how she gained such a massive fandom in the first place, putting the ordinary back into extraordinary circumstances
2026-10-01 08:03
This is why this is the best Taylor fan analysis. So many of the others (*ahem Aussie Ally*) just talk about how great anything she does it. This album was mid at best. The Encore is terrible. There's nothing wrong with realizing that. I think, unless she makes another Folklore like creative pivot, she'll never win another Grammy again. If she does, it'll be only for music videos.
2026-10-01 07:50
I have a theory The Life of Showgirl and the Encore is a clapback at the people who thought her work with Jack became stale and wanted 1989 era again.
2026-10-01 07:27
i am still a showgirl soldier lol i absolutely will not argue with anybody about it though because everybody has their own taste and opinions but i will say there’s absolutely no need to bash someone who does like it. one of my two best friends texted me after hate listening to the new songs and when i said that i liked them she just dogged me for it and it made me feel like shit. if it brings people joy and it’s not harmful to anybody let them damn have it.
2026-10-01 07:20
She's clapping back at her own insecurities and the voices in her head.
2026-10-01 07:04
1:10:09 you can't possibly act like you don't get the "love is ice on the ladder that you need to climb" meaning
it obviously means your so focused on your career or vision for yourself "corporate ladder" that love becomes an inconvenience.
Also one of the most underrated moments of the song for me is the it's almost gone adlibs in the outro with the repetition of the memories from the past "the sweater line and the neighbor's lawn" it's clearly the fact that all of these memories are going through his mind while the real present life is almost gone.
2026-10-01 07:00
Can we please analyse the video? ?
2026-10-01 06:32
The tortured poet would like to be excluded from this narrative(Showgirl).
2026-10-01 05:54
Mind you Taylor is justified a littleeeee bit in saying “screw the haters” but we have enough songs about her saying that….
2026-10-01 05:48
I like the encore a LOT more than the original Showgirl, but it might just be because my expectations were so low this time around. I think you would have to be underage or just really stupid to enjoy Cleavland though.
2026-10-01 05:34
My opinion. The encore is great. You two might need to review something else. Taylor doesn’t need your critic.
2026-10-01 05:33
Y’all crack me up and I’m here for it. I still love TS but agree that especially after a magnum opus like TTPD, Showgirl is a weak album. I like Ophelia, Ruin the Friendship, Father Figure is chefs kiss. Honey and wish list are sweet. I like Patient Zero and Pink Clouding from the Encore, they would’ve made showgirl better. However I don’t mind listening to the album as a whole, except Cancelled, which I always skip.
2026-10-01 05:22
respectfully there was no astroturfing. taylor paid people to come up with that, just like she paid rolling stone to give showgirl a perfect score
2026-10-01 05:14
The thing is. I also write better when I'm sad and depressed. Being happy is not conducive to deep reaching.
2026-10-01 05:11
At the point where you’re talking about how all she has to say about Travis is so high school and im thinking…if she avoided writing about him at all, people would comment on that and be confused by it. Maybe she needs to get the positive commentary (the “guys I’m ok no like I’m good I’m amazing I’m so happy I’m in love problems solved”) out of her system before the real writing can come..and then I realised, lover->folklore. Just a thought.
2026-10-01 05:07
Probably the fact she doesn’t swear anymore is because she’s aware Donna Kelce is listening ?️
2026-10-01 04:59
Cleveland is totally Taylor being funny about her haters and sincere about her husband, with a show biz delivery.
2026-10-01 04:57
And by the way, we still don’t know the life of a showgirl, and we never gonna know it ❤️?
2026-10-01 04:55
I didn’t listen to Babylon entirely and I probably won’t ever. Boring !
2026-10-01 04:48
I'm so glad that someone else thinks "Cleveland" sounds like Sims music.
2026-10-01 04:26
48:04 i hate opalite too!! i felt crazy for that as well bc i didn’t see much hate for it??
2026-10-01 04:13
When you said you would rather listen to Me I had to rewind and hear that again to seriously believe it ???? I never thought I’d see the day you found something worse than ME! Spelling is fun
2026-10-01 03:35
34:41 wait sorry to be dumb but whats the interpretation of the 1830s lyric ?
2026-10-01 03:00
My first thought when I saw it was, “encore? No one asked for you to come back and give us more of this.” Lol. If anything, I’d say this was her worst received album and the fewest people ever were saying they wanted more ?
2026-10-01 02:31
I think she’s been talking to her haters from the music world forever now and this time, she’s talking to the NFL haters. either way, it’s SO TIRED and I need her to please please demonstrate that she has an inner world beyond a) her past relationships and b) her own critical feedback loop. give us ANYTHING to show that you still have eyes and ears and are having ideas and thinking thoughts ???
2026-10-01 02:29
for me i loved the production of cleveland but i hate that the lyrics make it seem that the ‘hate’ doesnt matter bc shes found someone as opposed to it coming from herself
2026-10-01 02:28
Everyone begging for Jack to return is going to put Taylor further down in whatever hole Showgirl has dugg… Its time for growth, not stagnation. Jack is flexible in soundscapes, but it’s time for a real CHANGE in Taylexicon!
2026-10-01 02:21
She should work with Linda Perry for her next album.
2026-10-01 01:53
Matty was such a good muse. I wonder is she just trying to convince us she super happy with Trav and doesn't want the kind of love she had before
2026-10-01 01:53
Do your Taylor Swift essentials!?❤
2026-10-01 01:25
I don't understand why she feels such a need to lash out at the haters. If we're being honest, the vast majority of fans are absolutely thrilled for her. The excitement when they were photographed together in Travis's car after the game, the engagement photos, and so on. A small percentage grumbles when she's shown at the games or complains about her outfits. But with her current narrative, she’s practically portraying almost all fans as resentful, jealous, and „too loud“. And that doesn’t go over well.
2026-10-01 01:21
Taylor has told us several times that she has this list with phrases she finds interesting and I feel like Babylon is just a few of her notes glued together. If she honestly thought that would sound like evermore I am WORRIED.
2026-10-01 01:10
I remember when you complained about Jack Antonoff and said that she needed to work with somebody new, now you want him back lol
2026-10-01 01:03
i LOVE succession and immediately after listening to Elizabeth Taylor thought it sounded like that theme song aswell!!!
2026-10-01 00:51
35:13 omg patient zero made me think of outbreak… not aids! I don’t think many people thought that
2026-10-01 00:47
Can someone explain her shirt too me I’m so intrigued.
2026-10-01 00:37
? 9:09 I didn’t even see the eye lmao
2026-10-01 00:28
I get what you are saying. But I'm bopping. She really does put narcotics in her songs - before Encore I stopped listening to Showgirl 2 weeks after it came out, but now I have it on loop - Friday I hated Cleveland and now I'm singing along and talking along. ?
2026-10-01 00:16
Hear me out, Lavender Haze and Cleveland are twins songs.
2026-10-01 00:10
Crux jack wasnt the problem, taylor was. We've been blaming the victim
2026-09-30 23:26
the fact that I saw a tiktok with almost 100k likes saying that "Pink clouding" is OBVIOUSLY about Joe is KILLING ME!!! HELLO!!?!?!
2026-09-30 22:53
I believe showgirl is Britney Mahomes favourite album
2026-09-30 21:57
6:02 three wives in the video. Tay Dakota and Cara
2026-09-30 21:37